A New Kind of Warrior
by Jtty
Summary: Kyubey has successfully convinced Homura that her efforts to save Madoka are futile. This has inadvertently caused Madoka to become a witch. To defeat this powerful witch, Kyubey will have to seek out a new form of help.
1. Prologue

Author's Notes

Hello and welcome to my Madoka fanfiction. This is my first fanfiction, but not my first story. I encourage reviews and criticism. Every part of the Madoka storyline I'm incorporating should be self evident, however, I recommend that you have seen the anime before reading. With that, enjoy.

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Prologue

"Will Kyubey the Incubator please approach the floor?"

Kyubey walked carefully across the smooth floor. The circular desk of the High Council loomed overhead, only partly covering seven of the most powerful of his race. Their red eyes peered, unblinking, as Kyubey took his place in the center.

"Good evening, High Council. I hope you all are doing well." Kyubey said, undaunted by the staring.

The center member of the ring spoke first. "We'd like to congratulate you on your recent success in the case of Akemi Homura. Her time antics were destined to cause something catastrophic to happen to our system, and your convincing her that her efforts were futile was an accomplishment only one of your caliber could pull off."

"Thank you for your…" Kyubey began but was cut off by a second member of the Council.

"However, though your actions were correct, they have had an unfortunate side effect. In the events of the Walpurgisnacht, the magical girl Madoka Kaname fell."

Kyubey glanced at the speaker. "Yes, her death was most 'unfortunate'. She could have been quite an asset to our cause."

"There is where you are misinformed, Kyubey." A third member spoke up. "By 'fell', we did not mean perish. She has become a witch."

"That tends to be a normal procedure…" Kyubey began, but was cut off again.

"Please allow me to finish, Kyubey. This Madoka Kaname has become a very powerful witch. Powerful enough, in fact, that she possesses a higher level of intellect than we have seen in witches so far. She reportedly has been capturing our magical girls and forcing them to convert into witches themselves, creating a system of defense around her."

Another of the Council spoke up, continuing as if they were part of the same mind. "We have kept this defense system from growing too out of hand by keeping our best girls from attempting to fight her, lest they fail. It's come to the point where her strength in numbers has become unmanageable. This is why we have summoned you here today, Kyubey."

Silenced dominated the room as Kyubey took it all in. "What would you have me do, High Council?"

The central member spoke up again. "Kyubey, you are one of our best Incubators. We hereby authorize you to use any means necessary to bring balance back to our system."

"I graciously accept the task presented, and request leave to begin immediately."

"Request granted. Please do not fail us."

Kyubey left the room silently, heading to the transporter that waited outside the hall. He scolded himself for taking a vacation after Walpurgisnacht, allowing witches to grow in power in his absence.

Scenarios and possible solutions to this problem floated through his mind as he prepared himself to be transported back to Earth. None of the solutions that came to mind had a high enough possibility of success to be worth trying. 'Think outside of the box, Kyubey.' He thought to himself. 'Any means necessary' echoed in his head and an idea came to mind. A grin crept across his lips as he was whisked away by the transporter.


	2. Chapter 1

The Beginning

A soft clicking arose from the keyboard as Aaron's fingers danced across the keys. He smirked and took his glasses off. "I'll win without even seeing." He mocked as he continued to play, blinded by poor vision. The words 'You Win' faded into existence on the screen and Aaron donned his glasses and sighed. He downed his soda and added the now empty can to the leaning tower that sat next to his computer.

Several moments passed by with him staring at his screen, squinting in irritation. Finally, he groaned and said. "It's hot…and musty as hell." He stood up and threw his window open in disgust. The summer wind blew a leaf through the window. He caught it between two fingers and blew it back out the window. The small trees iconic of a newer neighborhood waved in the wind outside. Several empty lots were scattered here and there along the street. He turned away from them, moving back into his dark room.

Aaron ran a hand through his hair out of habit then stretched, making unnecessary noises out of boredom. The wind knocked the cans on his desk over and he lifted an eyebrow at them. He slid them into the trash can and smirked at his clean desk.

A slight scratching of paws on the windowsill reached Aaron's ears. He chuckled. "Little squirrel. How many times have I told you that I don't drop…" Aaron trailed off at the sight of a small, white critter sitting in the window. "…crumbs."

"Have no fear, Aaron Sato. I have no intention to eat your food." Kyubey spoke in his soft, confident voice. "There is something much more important I need from you."

Aaron lifted an eyebrow and took a seat. "Well, if you aren't planning on taking my food, I'm willing to hear you out."

"Hmm…" Kyubey mused.

"Is something the matter, little critter?"

"I'm not used to getting such a calm reception to my appearance. You fascinate me." Kyubey said, hopping down from the window to Aaron's bed.

"You're either a delusion from the heat or real." Aaron said, calmly. "In either situation, it would be more interesting to see what you want. So," Aaron said, putting his feet up on his bed near Kyubey, "what can I do for you?"

"I would like you to form a contract with me." Kyubey said, waiting for a response. Seeing none, he continued. "I will grant you any wish of your choosing in exchange for you working for me as a magical gi…er, guy."

Aaron stared at his feet, taking in everything that was just said. The wind seemed to have stopped, and the beige curtains had stopped moving. He looked up at Kyubey. "What does a 'magical guy' do, exactly?"

"Normally, those who make contracts with me fight witches that cause extreme despair and grief among humans. However, you'd be a special case. There is this witch who is causing issues with…" Kyubey started explaining.

Aaron jumped up, cutting Kyubey off. "Less exposition, more plot."

Kyubey, confused and tired of being cut off, tried to get clarification, "What do you mean?"

"I should have been more specific. What I mean is that you need to give me fewer details. All these details clutter the mind when I'm already being bombarded by so many things. I need to be able to process the broad picture, then seamlessly flow through the details as they become relevant." He said, making motions that seemed rehearsed.

Kyubey grinned. He had started to like this guy. "Then I'll be broad for you. A problem has come up, and I need you to help fix it."

"Was I your first choice?" Aaron said, glancing at Kyubey. "I don't like when people settle for me as a last resort."

"I searched the local areas for a particular skill set that I deemed suitable for…" Kyubey started but was cut off again.

"Mr. Critter. Yes or no questions require yes or no answers."

"You may call me Kyubey, since you seem to be without a suitable name."

"That's super weird. I should call you critter with a 'k' instead of a 'c' instead." Aaron propositioned.

Kyubey frowned. "What would that accomplish? They are the same word if you can only hear it."

Aaron laughed. "It's a joke, Kyubey. You're too serious."

"This is a serious matter." Kyubey was losing control of the conversation. He needed to be the one convincing, not being toyed with. "The answer to your question is yes, you were my first choice."

"Good! I accept the contract then." Aaron said, jumping onto his grey comforter in front of Kyubey.

"Just like that? You haven't even heard what I need from you." Kyubey said, realizing that his reactions were counterproductive to his goal too late.

"Why not? I have the gist of it. You have a witch who is apparently too big and bad for your normal horde of magical girly girls and need me to deal with it. A bit sexist to think a man is needed when women are failing, don't you think?" Aaron said, seeing if he could get some sort of emotion out of Kyubey.

Kyubey was amazed. "You…you're good at this information thing." He stuttered. "But no, it's not sexist. I sought you out based on skills, not gender."

"Tell that to the ladies, Kyubey." Aaron said, leaning back and sliding his foot under Kyubey, trying to toss him around.

Kyubey nimbly jumped over to Aaron's desk. "I am curious as to how you knew they were all female before."

"I didn't know for sure until just now. But you almost asked me to be a magic girl, which would mean you're quite used to asking people that question."

Kyubey sat in silence, watching the young man in front of him. He was arrogant, but rightfully so. "Well, you seem to understand what's going on without me explaining it. Since you seem so eager, tell me your wish and I'll complete our contract."

"Yeah, Kyubey…" Aaron started, "I was thinking I'd save that wish for later, just in case I needed it."

Silence fell over the room. Kyubey blinked in disbelief. "No wish? Then why are you agreeing to my contract? It's a very dangerous job! Most people don't even think the wish is ample compensation."

Aaron gestured. "Look around Kyubey. What do you see? Boring, cream colored walls. Boring curtains. Boring, whatever the hell my parents call that painting." He said, looking at the people sitting by a river in a frame. "My entertainment is my vast array of strategy games, which I happen to be top ranked in, so they get boring as well. Life is just moving too slowly for me."

"It seems that you have an intellect that is being wasted here." Kyubey said, finally understanding the person in front of him.

Aaron touched his nose and pointed at Kyubey. "You got it." He chuckled. "Look at me, talking way too much after telling you not to talk much. Let's just get right to it then, shall we?"

"I need your wish to make the contract."

The bed creaked as Aaron leaned back on it, thinking. "There's more to this wish than you're telling me." He looked over at Kyubey, who said nothing. "You need this wish for something. Otherwise, why give people whatever they want? You could just promise people magic in return for fighting for you. No, there's definitely something to it. Does it activate your magic? No…" Aaron started rambling to himself. Kyubey listened to this stream of consciousness. This man had not only taken control of the dealing, but also was figuring out the contract on his own. Kyubey forgot the rest of the doubt he had had in choosing a man for the job. There was potential here.

"That's it!" Aaron snapped Kyubey out of his thoughts. "You need the wishes to help define the magical powers! You just go up to mostly random girls for this, so there's no way you'd know the best form of magic to give them. You need this to help define their personality, combining that with whatever you figure out about their personality while talking to them. I've got you figured out Kyubey."

"Surprisingly yes, you got it exactly. I'm very impressed. So what does this mean for your wish?"

A smirk crossed over Aaron's lips. "It means my wish has to be strategic. Let's see…" Aaron trailed off, getting up and pacing around the small room. "I'll need to be able to hold my own in combat, but since you generally go to young women, who aren't really known for their fighting skills, my guess is that the magic will be compensation enough for that. I can also just sign up for some mixed martial arts or something. Yeah, that's not a problem." Aaron said.

"You're rambling, Aaron." Kyubey said, watching the dirty carpet sink underneath his footsteps.

"You're right." Aaron said. "I need a wish that improves something I can't improve myself. A strategic wish improving my utility and that will get me a strategic form of magic. Now what can I not improve…"

Kyubey was amused at this seemingly endless ramble. "Utility?" He asked, trying to get more from the mind of Aaron.

"Yes! Things besides offense and defense that aid me in…" His glasses slid down his nose and he stopped talking. "I've got it. I wish my eyesight was perfect." The scratching of paws was heard as Kyubey lifted them to cast the wish. "Wait. Perfect eyesight, in the light and in the dark." Aaron finished, smirking once again.

"Then let the contract be made." Kyubey said, releasing his powers.

Aaron woke up in his bed. "God dammit!" He groaned. He hadn't wanted it to be a dream. He rolled over and stared at the wall. All of its awful, cream-colored horificness, clear as day. 'Clear as day,' he realized. It wasn't blurry. 'Now I'm suddenly Spiderman,' he thought, reaching for his glasses and testing them out.

"How do you like your vision?" Kyubey said, sitting on the headboard above Aaron's pillow.

Aaron screamed and sat up. "Jesus dude! What's your problem?"

"Did I startle you?"

"I wonder…" Aaron said, sarcastically. He stood up carefully, examining himself. The carpet sank as it always did beneath him. There was nothing particularly magical happening when he moved arond. "So, I feel pretty much the same." Kyubey set Aaron's soul gem on his pillow while he was looking at himself. Aaron glanced at it. "Fancy egg. That your breakfast?"

"This is your soul gem. It's very important for you to keep it on you at all times." Kyubey said, letting his tail wave in the slight breeze from the open window.

Aaron lifted the soul gem. It shone in the light, the white color inside seeming to swirl around inside. "Is there some way to make it easier to carry around? I mean, putting it my pocket doesn't seem like a good way to hold something if I'm going to fight." As he finished speaking, the soul gem transformed itself into a necklace around his neck.

"Does that suit your need?" Kyubey asked, eager to see Aaron's first reaction to magic.

Aaron's fingers slid across it carefully. After a few moments, he looked at Kyubey, "Jewelry? Really? Couldn't have thought of anything more manly for the first guy you've gotten?"

"It's really not about looks…" Kyubey started, but was once again cut off.

"It's whatever."

Kyubey jumped to the window. "If you are finished complaining, would you please follow me?" He bounded out of the window. Aaron raised an eyebrow and clambered out the window behind him. The sunset cast a yellow glow across the neighborhood. Kyubey walked along the sidewalk, playing among a couple's legs as they walked. Aaron figured that only he could see him and began to follow.

The sidewalk turned to gravel as they left the neighborhood. The land beside Aaron's neighborhood was perpetually under construction, never giving the patrons peace from the loud banging and drilling.

Aaron stared at Kyubey as they walked along. He was curious. 'Test test,' he thought to himself.

"What are you testing?" Kyubey said, responded to Aaron's thoughts.

'And that explains why you always sound like you're in my head when you speak.' He thought.

"It would be weird for you to talk to something no one can see, would it not?" Kyubey said, triumphantly. "Now, I apologize for this being so sudden, but I have located a witch for you to test your magic on. I have made sure it is a particularly weak witch, that way you won't be overwhelmed. Normally, I will not be finding your witches for you. In fact, I won't babysit you either once you've begun."

'Good. I've never been good with babysitters.' Aaron thought, wondering what witches actually looked like. 'How far away is this witch?'

"She's been hiding in a construction site relatively close to your house. We are approaching it now." Kyubey said, turning off the curb to walk among the building shells. He stopped in front of a concrete building that would soon be an apartment complex.

The street lights came on, and the wind stopped. The hollow shell of a building stood lifeless in front of them. Aaron ran a hand through his hair and let it fall into place on its own. He shuffled his feet on the ground awkwardly. "So…come on out, witch!" He yelled up at the building.

Kyubey laughed and walked into the building. "A witch won't come to you. You go to the witch."

Aaron sighed and walked into the building. The walls began to shift around him and he stopped. "What's going on?"

"You have entered the witch's lair. They tend to form it into a labyrinth as protection." Kyubey said, completely used to the sight.

The floor formed into a sky filled with constellations, spinning slowly. The walls mimicked the surface of the moon, filling with craters and waves. Stalactites grew down from the ceiling, blocking any easy way forward.

Aaron slid his hands into his back pocket. "Seems she likes space. It's a bit upside down though."

"It's time for you to transform and begin using your powers." Kyubey said.

"I don't have to spin, do I?" Aaron said, trying to get Kyubey to be less serious.

"No. You should be able to figure it out. I could give you some sort of cheesy line to search inside yourself, but I think you'd complain."

Aaron wasn't amused. He took a quick mental stock of himself. His body parts felt all normal. The only thing that felt different was the necklace. He touched it and it glowed with power, shrouding him in light. "Cool."

As the light faded, Aaron could feel the difference. He looked down. He was in a black pinstripe suit, the pinstripes white enough to be glowing. He had white trench coat that hung down to his dress shoes. A gold pocket watch hung from the vest in his suit. He chuckled and went to run his hand through his hair again, but felt a hat. Taking it off, he saw that it was white with a black ring encompassing it and a feather. "You've turned me into a nineteen-fifties gangster, Kyubey."

"Is it manly enough for you?" Kyubey said, mocking him.

"It'll do." Aaron said, getting his hat on just right. "I was kind of hoping I'd get some kind of weapon, though."

"Every magical…person has some sort of magical item to aid them. Most times it's a weapon, but not always." Kyubey said, wagging his tail.

Aaron thumbed the pocket watch in his vest and pulled it out. Inside, there was the average clock, but behind it was a radar display. "Oh, this will definitely do." He said, putting it back into his pocket and approaching the stalactites. "So, just how much magic can I do?"

"It depends on the wish. I can't help you with questions about your capabilities."

A sigh left Aaron's lips. He'd have to figure it out. A weird tingling sensation seemed to hang over his body. He concentrated on it and tried to will it to push forward through the rock blocking his path. It worked, and the stalactites crumbled apart in front of him. "Digging. It." Aaron said, absentmindedly destroying a few more. Small green aliens crawled away from the wreckage. "The witch's lair, complete with minions. Come along, Kyubey."

"Unfortunately, there are other things I must do. You seem to have a grasp on things, so I will leave you to it." Kyubey said, turning to leave. Aaron shrugged, pulling out his pocket watch to check where things were. "Oh, before I leave, when the witch dies, it will drop something. Pick it up, and I'll explain what it is next time we meet."

"Whatever you say, Kyubes." Aaron said, turning back to the path. His radar showed the witch straight ahead, but he figured it wouldn't be that easy. He pocketed it and decided left was a good path.

The floor began to match the ceiling the further in the maze Aaron went. Alien creatures scurried away as he approached, fearful of the intruder. Doors were scattered along the cave walls, fully metallic and spacey. Aaron would open them to look through, but never went into any of them. He wasn't in the mood to get lost.

A larger door than the rest stood near the end of the hallway. Aaron pulled his hat lower on his head and slid the door to the side. A larger green alien stood in the middle of the chamber. It stared directly at him as he stepped inside. The door shut itself behind him, and he surveyed his surroundings. It was a circular room, with only one door. The walls were just as they were outside, but the ceiling rose into a big dome.

The witch raised its four arms and the light in the room faded. Aaron smirked, still able to see thanks to his wish. He watched the witch reach up and grab a stalactite from the roof and snap it off. Moments later, it was sailing through the air towards him. He jumped to the side, but went flying much further than he was expecting to go. "Well that was fun." He said, trying to land gracefully, but failing.

A howl echoed around the dome. The witch started running towards a wall, crawling up it in an attempt to find a better position against her new opponent.

"I really must apologize, miss," Aaron said, arrogantly, "but I am afraid my job description includes eliminating you."

Several more stalactites collided with the wall near Aaron's head. 'Apparently, the witch can't see well in her own darkness,' Aaron thought to himself. He knew he had the advantage, but now he had to figure out how to win. He had no weapons or tools, aside from his radar, which wasn't very useful against one enemy that he could see perfectly.

He quickly ducked as another projectile came flying at him. Then he got an idea. He jumped up to one of the hanging formations and snapped it off. It felt lighter than it looked, but he wasn't sure how much he could attribute of that to his magic.

The witch crawled around across the ceiling, howling and throwing things at him. "I'm going to have to ask you if you can hold still for a moment." He called up to it. It didn't respond to him at all. He sighed. He'd have to time it just perfectly.

He followed around underneath the witch till it stopped to break another piece off the ceiling. Right as it stopped, Aaron jumped upwards as hard as he could, throwing his projectile straight up. The point pierced the witch effortlessly, bringing a blood-curdling scream from the creature. It fell to the ground, disintegrating on contact. The walls around them faded, and Aaron was now standing on the roof of the building shell.

"I don't remember ever walking upwards." He said to nobody, holding his hat down as the wind picked up. His trench coat flapped out behind him and his shoes clacked on the concrete as he walked to where he saw something lying on the ground. A small, black object that gleamed in the dark stood upright on the ground at his feet. Aaron picked it up and put it in his pocket. He stretched some, making noises out of boredom, then walked towards the stairs.


	3. Chapter 2

Baptism by Fire

Quiet snoring rose from Aaron as he slept at his desk between classes. Students grouped up and talked amongst themselves. Some used the desks to play cards or eat snacks that they had kept with them. The words 'Test Next Period' were written across the board.

One of the girls broke off from her group and stood by Aaron's desk, putting her hands on her hips. "I thought you told me you don't snore." She said, accusingly.

Aaron blinked his eyes open. "Huh?" He yawned, sitting up.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to sleep in class?" She said, straddling the chair in front of him and resting her arms on the back of it.

"Believe it or not, Kiera, I have a reason to be tired this time." He said, looking her in the eyes.

She leaned closer to him and lowered her voice. "I don't care what your reason is. I try very hard to convince all of my friends that my 'best friend' Aaron over here isn't a loser. You aren't making it any easier."

He leaned down, lowering his voice as well. "You really do that?" A large grin crossed her lips and she smashed her head into his. Aaron reeled back in pain. "Ow, what's wrong with you?"

"For all your brains, you can never tell when I'm messing with you. Why would I need to justify our friendship? I don't care that you're a loser." She said, fixing her ponytail. "Still, you shouldn't sleep in class. And put your glasses back on. You look weird without them." She said, getting up and hurrying back over to the group of girls she had been with.

Aaron watched her brown hair bounce back and forth as she left. "No Kiera, slamming your head into mine didn't hurt at all, don't worry about it." He said to himself, mockingly. He sighed and slouched down into his chair. He was glad that she didn't ask about the necklace, he wouldn't have known what to say. He would also have to figure out how to explain his lack of glasses once she realized they weren't off for sleeping purposes. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed again. He had only slept an hour and his legs were sore. Magic apparently didn't change the fact that he was doing more than his body should be able to do.

Kyubey suddenly jumped onto his desk and Aaron felt his heart skip a beat. He managed to contain the urge to jump out of his seat or yell. 'You really have got to stop doing that, Kyubes.' He thought at Kyubey.

"Why are you calling me that? You did it yesterday as I left as well." Kyubey asked, cocking his head to the side.

'I thought it was obvious. It's one syllable less. I'm lazy.' Aaron thought, figuring it was self-explanatory.

"Humans are weird." Kyubey said. "Either way, something's come up. We need to go."

As Kyubey was talking, the teacher walked into the class behind him. "Alright, take your seats and make sure you have a pencil. I'm going to start passing out tests as soon as everyone has sat down."

'Kyubes…I mean, Kyubey. Give me some time. I have to take a test.' He thought, sitting up straight and taking his pencil out from behind his ear.

"Humans lives are about to be lost. Your test is insignificant." Kyubey insisted.

Aaron reached out and took the test as the teacher walked past. 'Don't worry, Kyubey, it's just chemistry.' Aaron looked at the test for a second, then started circling answers.

Kyubey watched him circle one answer after another, not stopping to read each question. "Very impressive. You barely look at each question."

'Quiet.' He thought, pausing to find his place. Kyubey waited patiently, and after a few moments, Aaron stood up and walked to the front of the class. He set the paper on the desk and wrote his name on it. "Can't forget the name." He joked at the teacher.

"Excuse me, Mr. Sato, where are you going?" The teacher asked, but Aaron had already made it out of the door.

Kiera watched the exchange from her desk, and quickly got up to follow after him. "Bathroom, sorry!" She ran out past the teacher. She looked down the hallway and Aaron was sprinting across the hardwood floor. "Aaron!" She called after him.

Aaron heard her and slid to a stop. "No, ignore her! We're busy!" Kyubey said, running down the stairs ahead of him. He let Kyubey go on ahead and went back to meet Kiera.

"Where exactly are you going?" She asked, scowling at him.

"Um, yeah, I'm not feeling well, so I'm just going to go home." Aaron nodded, trying to assure her he wasn't lying.

"What about the test?"

"I finished it. The teacher's answers are always in the same pattern. It's not that hard. Bye!" He said, turning and running back to the stairs and sliding down the railing. Kiera stood in silence and shook her head in disbelief.

Aaron met Kyubey at the bottom of the stairs. "I told you not to go back." He scolded, leading the way.

'Sorry, she's important. What's the rush? Who's dying?'

"A witch has taken over a church and is orchestrating a ritual suicide. The church has hundreds of members." Kyubey said, sliding through a closing door. Aaron slammed into the closed door to force it open.

'How far to the church?' Aaron thought, feeling concern and worry build up inside him as he imagined the different ways hundreds of people could end up killing themselves.

"It's not too far, but on the way, I can explain about the item you picked up from the witch you took down yesterday."

'Lay it on me.' Aaron though, starting to feel his legs burn from the sprinting.

"The item you collected is a grief seed. Over time, and as you use magic, your soul gem begins to cloud up. If it completely turns black, you're in trouble. The grief seed is used to clean the clouding."

Aaron thought for a moment. 'So, I fight witches and my reward, besides helping people, keeps me alive. Sounds good.'

"I suggest that you cleanse your soul gem before this fight. This witch is a little more powerful than I would have liked for you to face so soon, but I had no other choice." Kyubey said, taking a sharp turn.

Aaron reached into his pocket and pulled out the grief seed. He held it up to his necklace and saw blackness spiral out of it and into the grief seed. As soon as it had all left the necklace, the grief seed shattered. 'Seems I can't just keep using the same one.' Aaron chuckled.

"No. The amount of cleansing it can do depends on the power of the witch." Kyubey said. "We're almost there."

A steeple rose into the air above the buildings of the city, and Aaron guessed that it was where he was headed. Sure enough, Kyubey stopped in front of it, and Aaron skidded to a stop, breathing heavily. The church's walls were covered in an array of black cracks. The stained glass window was black and bloody. 'Kyubey, other people can't see this, can they?'

"No, only us. We must hurry." Kyubey ran up to the doors and waited for Aaron to open them. Aaron hurried behind him and swung the doors open, stepping inside. He felt the walls start to shift around him. His hand went to his necklace immediately, changing him into his suit and coat. He pulled his pocket watch out and saw a mixture of red and green dots. The red ones were moving towards him.

Aaron looked up and scanned his surroundings. Pews floated through the air, covered in black spider webs. A black haze hung in the air, cutting his vision short. Red colored windows occupied the walls.

The red dots on his radar were getting closer fast. Aaron put the watch away and tried to see what was coming. A black spider the size of his head crawled along a pew close to him. "Should have guessed." He muttered, wondering how gross it would be to squish it. The spider shot a web at him and he leaned to the side. The web connected to the wall behind him, but remained connected to the spider. He smirked and yanked the web. The spider came flying towards him, and he smacked it to the ground. It hit with a spray of blood.

Several more spiders came into view. "Oh come on…" Aaron whined.

"We don't have much time, Aaron!" Kyubey's voice sounded through his head. Aaron decided to ignore the spiders and run ahead. Webs shot at him, but he managed to dodge them clumsily. He yanked his pocket watch open. The first green dot was close. He ran in the direction of it, but met a wall of webs. He tried the same magic he used on the stalactites, but the web just shook peacefully.

His pocket watch showed a green dot moving towards him, followed by red ones. "Here's hoping that green one is you, Kyubey." He said, staring into the haze.

"If it's running at you, then it is." Kyubey said, appearing from out of the haze.

"Good. I can't get through these webs."

"You'll have to go another way to find the witch then."

Aaron peered through the web. A person was roped with black web, trapped in a kneeling position. They looked like they were praying. "There's someone in there though!"

"Kill the witch and you'll save them all."

"Whatever you say…" He said, as web came flying and hit his shoulder. He grabbed it and swung the spider against a wall. The web disconnected from his shoulder when it died. 'Probably something to take note of.' Aaron thought to himself.

His radar showed a larger dot past all of the green dots. He figured it was the witch, and if not, it was the best place to start looking.

Aaron started running in the direction of the larger dot, putting his pocket watch back away so his hands were free. He rounded a corner and faced a hallway constructed of webbing. Every pathway leading closer to where he wanted to go was sealed, no matter how far he ran down the hallway looking. He growled his annoyance and threw himself at the closest web. It only gave a small amount of slack before throwing him backwards. He tried it several times before finally accepting that it wouldn't work.

Scanning his surroundings proved useless. All there was were more webs. Then he smirked. Kyubey came running up from the haze. "It's no use; I can't find a way in."

"Back up, Kyubey, I got this." Aaron lined himself up with the entrance, then threw all of his weight into the web across from it. As it was about to ricochet him backwards, he planted his feet on the web. He waited to feel it push, then he jumped off the web as hard as he could and flew through the web into the next room.

"Good work, Aaron. This building isn't that big, so the witch should be close." Kyubey said, running on ahead. Aaron picked himself up and brushed himself off. He quickly followed after Kyubey, seeing a large room with a crucifix through the webs.

Kyubey stood by a doorway without webs on it that led into the large room. "Good luck." He said to Aaron as Aaron caught up to him. "It will be safer for me out here. Go beat the witch!"

"I'll do my best, Kyubey." Aaron said, pushing the door open.

The door slammed behind him. He glanced backwards as spiders sealed it with webbing. He cracked his neck and walked all the way into the room. Several people, kneeling and tethered like the first one he saw, were scattered about the room. An altar sparkled in the red light at the front of the room. The witch floated above the altar, in the mock reverence. Large black wings sprouted from her back, set apart from the rest of her by a white robe. 'Something is off about the wings,' Aaron noted.

"Come, my child. Take your place at the foot of the altar and prepare to be saved." The witch said, spinning towards him.

Aaron was taken aback by the witch's face. Each eye had an extra three below it, with a mouth spreading from one ear to the next. "I didn't know witches could talk." Aaron said, putting his hands in his back pockets.

"What do you mean witch, my child? Witches are the devil's work."

"Then I suppose it's about time for you to meet your maker." Aaron said, grabbing a pew and lifting. It was way heavier than he expected, and he stumbled backwards with it.

The witch cackled with laughter. "Seems I'm found out. I suppose you thought yourself a hero, coming in dramatically with cocky one-liners, ready to slay the witch. I'm afraid it's about time I stopped you before you hurt yourself." Her wings split apart into eight, spider-like legs. Her dress ripped apart and dozens of spiders crawled out.

"That has to be, the most disturbing thing I've ever seen." Aaron said, dropping the pew. Its usefulness had ended.

Cackling echoed around the room while haze spread from the witch's mouth. Webs shot from the spiders that had positioned themselves on the walls. Aaron tried dodging them, but three caught his leg from the right. He was dragged across the floor, bumping into pews as he went. He aimed his hand down the webs and tried using magic even though he couldn't see the spiders. The webs went limp, and he let them fall to the ground.

A pew flew out of the haze at him, and he narrowly rolled out of the way. "That's how you throw a pew, boy!" He heard the witch yell out.

As he stood up, the witch appeared in front of him and grabbed his tie. "Hey! You're gonna stain it. Who knows where your hands have been?"

"It's already black…" The witch started, but was cut off by Aaron's fist colliding with her cheek. She hissed at him and threw him across the room. He bounced off the wall and slammed his back on the ground, knocking the wind out of him. Webs connected to his chest and lifted him upright as he gasped for air. The witch walked up and held his face in her hands. "Such a scrawny boy."

"Side effect of gaming." He choked out.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to let my babies eat you, since you declined to join the ritual."

Aaron frowned. "Nah, not feeling it." He spat in her eyes, and as she reeled back he crushed the spiders with magic. He quickly grabbed one of the falling webs and jumped at the witch with it held out in front of him. It collided with the witch's neck and he let himself wrap around her neck and planted his feet on her back.

The witch fell to her knees and her spider legs writhed. "How did you destroy…my babies?" She asked, panicking.

"Magic, of course." He said, pulling the web tight.

The witch coughed and wheezed. Spider webs hit Aaron from all sides, but he held his ground, holding the webs tight to not be pulled over. "Only…girls can do magic." She choked out.

"Your information's old, and it has cost you. I'd advise you to be more prepared next time, but there won't be one for you." He said, pushing his foot down on her neck and tightening the web. The witch twitched violently, then stopped moving. The walls faded, and the spiders all shrieked and disintegrated along with their mother. All of the people who had been captured crumpled into heaps.

Kyubey walked in and sniffed at one of the churchgoers. "You made it in time. Good job, Aaron."

Aaron picked up the grief seed and transformed back into his normal clothes. "I'm going home."

"What about school?"

"Shut up, Kyubey." Aaron spat out, limping towards the door.

"Aaron, are you upset with me? What's wrong?"

Aaron turned on Kyubey. "You knew I wasn't ready! Why the hell am I here? I nearly died!"

"A body is easily fixable. Your magic will take care of it for you." He said, wagging his tail back and forth.

"It's only fixable if it's alive!" Aaron yelled at him.

"You did win, didn't you?" Kyubey said casually. Aaron scowled and limped away. "I won't be giving you your next witch. It'll be up to you for a while."

Aaron just waved his hand over his shoulder. "Yeah yeah, I got it." He got to the door, straightened out the best he could, and walked home.

Aaron lied curled up in his bed. He stared at the grief seed. It hadn't shattered after using it this time. He frowned at it. He was angry at himself for killing someone and not feeling bad about it. "I suppose the witch was about to murder tons of innocent people." He muttered to himself. It was also not a 'someone'. He sighed and put the grief seed back in his pocket.

There was a knock at his door. He groaned, and the door swung open. Kiera walked in, holding her books in her arms. "I brought you the work you missed." She said softly.

Aaron rolled over to look at her as she sat down. "Thanks." He said carefully, trying not to sound in pain.

"Geez, you look awful." She said, setting down the books and putting the papers aside.

"I told you at school, I didn't feel good." He said, happy that he was no longer lying. He hurt all over.

"Well, the way you were sprinting, I didn't really believe you. I was gonna give you an earful, but your mom said you collapsed when you got home. Do you know what's wrong?" She said, touching his forehead.

"Yeah, more or less." He said. 'Just got tossed around by a witch, no big deal.' He thought to himself.

"If it happens again, I'll walk you home. Don't strain yourself."

"Yeah, sure." He said. "Hey, do you work out?"

Kiera hesitated, caught off guard. "Y-yeah. For volleyball. I go to a gym every other day."

"I wanna go. Take me with you next time you go."

"Where is this coming from?"

"Do you go tomorrow?"

"What are you saying? Calm down." Kiera said, confused.

"I'll be better then. So, come pick me up. If you don't, I'll tell all your friends you have a crush on me."

She scowled. "Fine, I'll pick you up tomorrow. It's your fault if I have to drag you home." She said, grabbing her book and heading for the door. "Anything else?"

Aaron grinned. "Sure you don't want me to tell them about your crush anyway? It would make it easier." He teased.

"Good bye, Aaron." she said.

"Wait." He said. She stopped and looked at him. He was silent for a moment, then spoke up. "Stay with me till I fall asleep."

"What? You're sixteen. Not a child."

"Please." He stared up at her hazel eyes.

She sighed and set her books back down, sitting next to him. He closed his eyes and relaxed, letting exhaustion do its work.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Aaron sat at his desk, practicing his magic by weaving several objects in and around each other above his hand. It had been a week since the church, and he had defeated two more witches, both substantially easier than the spider witch had been. He still had a grief seed to spare, and it was floating among the objects he was practicing on.

He sent the objects back to where they sat in his room, keeping the grief seed and his pocket watch in front of him. He opened the watch and stared at it. "There's got to be more to this thing." He mumbled to himself. Green dots signifying his parents milled about close to him. He could also see dots for next door and across the street.

The back of the pocket watch revealed nothing. The sides didn't spin, the lid didn't shoot magical laser beams, nothing. He leaned back in his chair and tossed it down onto his desk. The radar display projected itself into the air, now in three dimensions. "How did I do that?" Aaron said, sitting up and looking at it. He could now see that his parents were downstairs, as opposed to just knowing which direction they were. He touched the projection carefully, and it moved and rotated with his hand. "Awesome."

He spun the projection around, seeing how fast it could go, satisfied that he'd figured out enough for the day. "Aaron?" He heard his name called. He quickly stopped the projection. A green dot was approaching his room. "Aaron, you better not be sleeping!" It was Kiera. He had forgotten it was Friday, the day Kiera always came over to hang out.

Kiera burst into the room, just after Aaron transformed back into his normal clothes. He spun around in his chair. "I've been expecting you."

"And here I thought you had forgotten what today was." She said, trying not to laugh at his cliché.

"There's no way I could forget about our Fridays." He lied, moving to sit on his bed as Kiera sat on his pillow. "So, what do you have for us today?"

She pulled a movie from her purse and held it up triumphantly. "This is the epitome of horribleness."

Aaron grinned. He loved watching bad movies, and Kiera always seemed to find the worst of the worst. He took it from her hands and put the disc into his computer. While he set it up, Kiera settled herself on the edge of the bed closest to the screen.

Kiera looked around while Aaron worked, eyeing his desk carefully. It was neat and clean, cleaner than her desk at home. Her eyes finally stopped their looking and landed on Aaron. Large muscles showed through his shirt, muscles she'd never noticed before. His back and shoulders seemed so large to her now, so alluring. She quickly tried pulling her mind off of it. "So, uh, why the sudden switch to contacts?"

"Better for a computer screen." Aaron lied. He had no desire to tell her that he was a magical warrior. He had no doubt that she would believe him. It wouldn't be hard to prove. She would just be angry that he was nearly getting himself killed daily, and her wrath was not to be taken lightly. "Alright." He clapped his hands and spun around. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Kyubey sitting next to Kiera.

"What's wrong, Aaron?"

"Sorry, wasn't expecting you to be sitting right behind me." He said, staring at Kyubey the whole time. 'Didn't I tell you to stop doing that?' He thought at Kyubey.

"How would you like me to announce my presence then, oh great master?" Kyubey mocked.

Aaron sat by Kiera and trained his eyes on the opening credits that rolled on the screen, doing his best to not look over at the small creature. 'You're getting pretty sassy, Kyubey.'

"It seems to work better in my dealings with you." Kyubey said, hopping up to Aaron's desk and sitting by the screen. "I have an update on our situation."

'Can it wait?' Aaron thought, glancing at Kiera. She gave him a quick smile, but didn't speak.

"It will be very quick. I know how important mating is to humans."

Aaron turned red. 'This is not mating.'

"With the amount of pheromones she's giving off, you could have fooled me." Kyubey shook his ears and made himself comfortable. "Now, the update. A problem has surfaced in your primary objective."

'Big bad witch not playing nice?' Aaron raised an eyebrow.

"Using the broadest of terms, yes. She has created a powerful perimeter of followers to guard her. If anything tries to approach her, they are immediately…well, let's just say it's not good. My original plan was to allow you to practice on witches, which would create a dent in the perimeter while training you at the same time."

'That sounds like a pretty reliable plan in my book. What's the problem?'

"The perimeter is growing faster than you're able to make dents."

Aaron thought carefully, paying no attention to the movie. He had defeated four witches so far. After every fight, he had come home exhausted. Now, even if Kyubey's estimate was completely off, it would still be him against several witches, not to mention the strongest one coming at the end. He would be worn out before ever making it to the hardest fight.

"You seem troubled."

'Kyubey, I don't think I can do it alone. No one has that kind of stamina.'

Kyubey answered without hesitation. "There will be no backup. You have to do it alone."

'Why? There are other magic girls. Why can't they help me? I get that it's dangerous to go close to this perimeter thing, but isn't sending me in alone basically just me doing exactly what you're not letting others do?' Aaron was struggling to keep a blank face in front of Kiera.

The movie was the only sound for what seemed like ages. Kyubey tried to think of an answer to Aaron's question. He knew that Aaron was unique in that he was picked for skill instead of for the potential energy that could be harvested. There was nothing saying that Aaron couldn't become a witch, but there was no question that any other magic girls sent in with Aaron would immediately be turned. Kyubey couldn't tell Aaron this of course. Anyone under a magical contract was never supposed find out that they had a chance to turn into a witch.

He was spared from giving an answer by Kiera's sudden burst of laughter. She looked at Aaron's confused look. "How could you not have found that hilarious?"

"Sorry, must have zoned out." Aaron said, giving a weak smile.

"Maybe if you sat a bit closer, you'd see it better." She said quietly.

Kyubey walked back towards the window. "We'll finish later. I know better than to mess with a girl in heat. Good luck." Kyubey almost sang his last few words as he jumped out into the early evening air.

Aaron hesitated under Kiera's gaze. He got up and sat down closer to her, giving her several playful pokes. She giggled and grabbed his hand. "Watch the movie, pokey."

The scent of flowers crossed Aaron's nose. Kiera had never worn perfume before, as far as he knew. She had also not let go of his hand after grabbing it either. He let his fingers ease in between hers. He waited for the inevitable complaint or attempt to stop him, but instead felt her thumb gently rub on the back of his hand.

Aaron turned to look at her. His eyes met hers, already looking his way. Her teeth gently bit her bottom lip, waiting to see what would happen. Be romantic, Aaron thought to himself. Girls don't like guys who just go for it selfishly, right? He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. A light blush found its way onto her cheeks. She hadn't been expecting that.

Aaron got closer, pressing his forehead against hers. He let his hand undo her ponytail and her hair cascaded down over her shoulders, showering him with the smell of flowers. Her breathing had grown a lot faster, and Aaron could feel her shaking with nervousness. "You go through the trouble of putting on perfume and don't even do your hair?" He said, trying to ease the tension.

She giggled and relaxed a bit. Her eyes looked in his for a moment, then closed expectantly. Aaron closed his eyes and found her lips, kissing her gently.

Almost instantly, a horrific scraping sound shook the house, throwing the two out of the bed. Shrieks echoed and the room began shifting around them, leaves appearing from the walls. "Aaron, run!" Kyubey's voice echoed through his mind. "Get Kiera out of there!"

Aaron stood and pulled Kiera up with him, holding her steady till the shifting finished. A jungle had taken the place of his room. Large vines and other foliage surrounded him on all sides. A thick, smoky haze blocked his vision of the sky.

"Aaron, what's happening?" Kiera panicked and clung to him. Tears rolled down her face. Kyubey came out of a bush in front of them and Kiera screamed.

"Shh, it's okay." He rubbed her back, trying to calm her down. "What's going on Kyubey?" He poke aloud, no longer caring to hide Kyubey. Kiera could obviously see the critter now.

"That witch from back at the church had an older sister. She's wants revenge." Flames erupted from the jungle, setting everything ablaze. More shrieks, louder this time, came from all sides.

Aaron immediately transformed, filling the area with bright light. "Kyubey, get Kiera somewhere safe. I'll deal with this."

"Aaron. This isn't anything like you've faced. You're going to die, you're not ready."

"There's not much of a choice, Kyubey. I can't really run if it can hunt me down in the real world anyway. Now get Kiera to safety." He turned and put his hands on her shoulders. "Look here. Listen to me." She looked at him, terrified. "You're stronger than this. You were just caught off guard, okay? You've challenged the football team to a fight and they backed down." She laughed a little. He smiled down at her. "Chin up, and follow my friend Kyubey here. I'll be back soon." He wiped the tears from her eyes. She nodded and tried to compose herself. Kyubey trotted off into the bushes, and she followed, not wanting to take her eyes off Aaron.

Once she was out of sight, he yelled out into the jungle. "I hear someone's got a problem with me! Bring it on then!"

A large, yellow object flew from the smoke and sideswiped him. He staggered backwards, but kept on his feet, trying to see what hit him. Leaves rustled and separated, parting to reveal the witch. She walked slowly towards him, towering over him in size. Transparent wings flickered on her back, making her float every few steps.

Aaron backed away from her, but kept his face a mask of confidence. "So, either you're a giant wasp or you just have a really fat ass."

The witch shrieked and flew at him. Aaron's hand found a branch behind him and swung it, clipping the side of the witch's head. One of the many legs gripped his tie and lifted him into the air, taking flight through the smoke. He was hoisted up into the air, grabbing the leg to prevent being thrown. One of the other legs grabbed his foot and swung him. His face dangled dangerously close to the large stinger on the back of the witch's body.

A bright red magic circle formed on the stinger, spawning flames and firing them at Aaron. He covered his face with his arm and felt his coat catch on fire. His arms flailed about as he tried to get the coat off of him. The second he finally got a decent grip on it, he felt himself falling. The witch had thrown him at a clearing. He oriented himself feet down and braced himself.

The ground came fast, slamming into Aaron and cratering under him. A loud crack, followed by pain, sounded from Aaron's leg. He cried out and fell to his side, looking up for where the witch was. His eyes met Kiera's. She stood on the edge of the clearing, staring at him in disbelief. He smirked at her, feeling the pain being dulled by his magic healing. He forced himself to his feet, but was immediately sent tumbling backwards by the witch's fire.

The witch came shortly after, screaming and slamming her legs on either side of him. Aaron tried crawling backwards, but was pinned by one of her legs digging into his shoulder. "You murdered my sister!" She screamed in rage, her face inches from his.

"My bad?" Aaron said, unable to give up a chance of being sarcastic. The witch brought herself up on her hind legs, screaming at the sky. Aaron quickly grabbed the leg in his shoulder and snapped it. The screams turned to screams of pain, and Aaron took his chance to get up and back away. He didn't make it far before he saw a larger magic circle appear in the air above the witch, flames shooting in his direction. He dodged to the side, using his good leg to jump sideways. A fireball collided into him in midair. He tumbled backwards, landing against a tree. Pain wracked his body. He gritted his teeth and tried to move, but found himself once again pinned under the witch.

She leaned down and showed him her large fangs. A magic circle appeared in the air behind her. "This is where you die." Aaron pushed his hand up against her face and used any magic he could muster. She stumbled back, laughing. "Thanks for moving me out of the way so my magic can do the work for me." She sang out.

Aaron stared at the circle as it burned in the air. He watched as large fireballs appeared in the air, growing larger the longer they weren't launched. He tried to move out of the way, but his other leg had been pierced by one of the witch's legs. Suddenly, an idea came to mind. He focused on the tingling sensation of magic in the air and brought his hand into the air. Finger pointed, he traced the magic circle that floated above him. The circle burned into existence with his hand motions.

The witch, noticing what he was doing, quickly let loose her fire. Aaron finished right as they fired, launching his own. The fire collided, swirling in the air and dissipating. Aaron immediately copied the circle again, with both hands, sending fire swirling in front of him. They collided with the large wasp, sending embers flying across the field. Shrieks of surprise and outrage came from the scorched witch.

Time felt slower as the witch lunged at Aaron. Her jaw opened wide, revealing her vicious maw. Aaron shifted his weight to the side, throwing his arm up and letting it be swallowed. The witch's fangs bit down into his upper arm, with a confused look. Aaron smirked. "Bad move." A red circle formed around the witch's neck. Muffled screams of terror rose from her throat as she tried to back off. Flames erupted from the witch's stomach and mouth. The body shuddered, then disintegrated.

The jungle faded from existence, replaced with the cool, night air and familiar neighborhood. Aaron leaned up against a streetlamp. Kiera rushed over to him, Kyubey close behind her. "Aaron, oh my god. Kyubey, is he dying?"

Kyubey looked over the burns and breaks on Aaron's body. "As long as he's still alive now, he'll be repaired easily. It's all part of the magic."

"Hey Kyubey." Aaron said, grinning wide. "I didn't die. Suck on that."

"Yes, yes. You're amazing. Women should be throwing themselves at your feet." Kyubey said sarcastically.

"Hear that, Kiera? Start throwing."

She shook her head and laughed. "Let's get you inside." She got her arms around him and tried lifting. Pain replaced the numbness all over Aaron's body and he passed out instantly.

A ray of sunlight peeked through the window, shining directly onto Aaron's face. He blinked his eyes, rolling on his side. The boring walls of his room stared at him. Memories of the fight with the wasp witch came rushing back to him. He glanced down at his arms. Scorch marks were left behind from his body healing. He swung his legs out of bed, noticing that he had been undressed. Various other places on him were also scorched.

The door to his room swung open. "Aaron, you awake yet? Breakfast is ready." His mother reached in and flipped the light switch on.

He quickly pulled his shirt on. "I'll be right down, mom."

"When did Kiera leave last night? I didn't see…" His mother cut off mid-sentence. Aaron turned to see what his mother was looking at. His eyes found Kiera asleep in his bed, next to where he had just been.

Kiera rolled over and opened her eyes, only to meet two pairs of wide eyes staring back. "Um, good morning, Mrs. Sato." Kiera realized she was undressed, much as Aaron had been, and quickly pulled the covers up. "I'd love to explain this…" She said, not sure of what to say.

Aaron's mother turned her gaze on her son. "You will walk her out, then we're going to have a talk." The door shut loudly behind her, the sound of her walking down the stairs echoing in the silence.

Kiera and Aaron locked eyes. "Can I have a shirt?" She asked quietly.

"No. You're stuck there till you explain why I'm going to have to go listen to my parents talk about the birds and the bees."

"You were hurt, but the little cat thing told me all that could be done was put you to bed. I wanted you to be comfortable at least."

"And you decided to stay because…"

"I was scared, and I hope you don't try question that too much, Mr. Stay-With-Me-Till-I-Fall-Asleep."

"And you're naked because…"

"This is how I sleep."

Aaron threw a shirt at her. "Fine." The room was awkwardly silent as Aaron listened to her put the shirt on. "I didn't want you to know about all of this."

She stood up, searching for the rest of her clothing. "Why not?"

"You'd be mad that I was endangering myself."

"Well, I guess I am. But not as much as I am relieved and thankful. Just tell me this." Kiera looked directly into his eyes. "Is this job important?"

"I believe it is. According to Kyubey, these witches cause 'extreme despair and grief in humans'."

"I wanted to know if it was important to you."

Aaron didn't let her gaze drop. "Very."

"Then I won't protest. Just know that if you die, I'm breaking up with you." Aaron tried to speak, but no words came. Kiera came up to him and gave him a small kiss. "Unless you were just planning on kissing me and running away."

"No, we're definitely together."

Kiera blushed, glad to hear it out loud. She smiled and opened the door to his room. Aaron quickly threw pants on and followed her down to the door. Closing it behind her, he spun on his heel, ready to get an earful from his parents.


End file.
